Elite life
India (Indian Recipes)
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 med onion, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup vinegar
1 Tbsp turmeric
2 lbs boneless stewing beef
1 Tbsp coriander seeds cut into 1" cubes
2 tsp chili powder
3 Tbsp ghee
1/2 tsp light mustard seeds
4 cups water
1/2 tsp fenugreek
Salt to taste
1 tsp ginger-root, ground
Cooking Instructions:
Put the onion and garlic in the workbowl of an electric blender. Grind the spices in a spice grinder. Add to the onion mixture. Blend, adding enough of the vinegar to make a thick, stiff paste. Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels. Put the meat in a large bowl. Coat thoroughly with the paste. Marinate for between 4 and 12 hours. Melt the ghee in a heavy casserole. Brown the beef carefully - don't let it burn. Add the water. Cover. Cook over low heat until tender (1 1/2-2 hours). Remove the cover and turn up the heat to cook off excess liquid. Add more water if the curry is too dry. Serve hot.
Ingredients:1 kg chicken
4 tbsp curd (plain yoghurt
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsps chilli powder
2 tsps coriander powder
1/4 cup oil
Salt to taste
Cooking Instructions:
Cut chicken into pieces and marinate with curd and salt and keep aside for an hour. Heat oil and fry turmeric. Add onion and fry till light brown. Then add ginger and garlic mixed in a tbsp of water and stir well. Then add chilli and coriander mixed in 4 tbsps water. Stir well till oil comes out clear. Now add the chicken and sufficient water to make good sauce. Cover and let cook on gentile fire till chicken is done.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp cummin seeds
2 Tbsp coriander seeds
2 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp mango powder, optional
1 tsp chilli powder, optional or to taste
Pinch of red food colouring, optional, but it looks nice
Juice of a lime or lemon, but lime is better
About 10 oz good thick yoghurt
Salt to taste
Other ingredients:
About 1.5 lb chicken, diced
3-6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, very finely chopped
Chicken stock or Water
Oil or ghee for frying
Cooking Instructions:
Grind the spices and mix with marinade ingredients. Immerse chicken in
marinade and leave in the fridge for 24 hours Heat Oil in a frying pan
(skillet!) or wok until very hot Stir fry chicken vigorously for about 5
mins (you may need to do it in 2 batches, depending on the size of your
pan) Remove chicken and keep warm. Fry onion and garlic until just
browning and return chicken with any remaining marinade, plus stock,
plus more spices if you think the sauce needs it; an extra tsp of cummin
and coriander may 'lift' it a little Simmer until chicken is cooked and
Sauce is nice and thick. Serves with rice.
Ingredients:
1 lb diced butternut pumpkin
1 finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped tomato
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric
4 Tbsp oil
400 ml coconut cream
200 ml water
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnish
Cooking Instructions:
Heat oil and cook mustard seeds until they burst. Add chopped onion and fry until tender. Add chopped tomato and tumeric, cook briefly (approx 2 mins). Put in the diced pumpkin, salt and water. Stir well to coat the pumpkin. Add coconut cream. Cover and cook until pumpkin is soft - this depends on how small/large you dice. Garnish with chopped coriander.
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp oil or ghee
2 medium onions, sliced thinly
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 inch piece fresh ginger-root, finely chopped
1.5 tsp turmeric
2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground fenugreek
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp hot paprika
2 lbs lean diced lamb
800 ml coconut cream
1.5 tsp salt
2 curry leaves, optional
1 pkt frozen chopped spinach
Cooking Instructions:
Heat oil in heavy pan. Add onions and fry until golden brown Add garlic, ginger and all spices except salt Fry for 5 minutes until fragrant. If mixture is too dry add a little water. Stir regularly to prevent burning Add lamb and toss through to coat with onion/spices. Fry further 10 minutes, stirring to prevent burning/sticking Add thawed spinach and mix thoroughly. Add coconut cream and salt. Stir well. Add curry leaves, bring to a rapid boil Reduce heat and allow to simmer for at least 1.5 hours covered. Remove lid and simmer till sauce reduces, usually 15-30 minutes. This is an exceptionally hot curry, if you prefer a milder curry reduce by half the following ingredients: chilli powder and hot paprika.
Ingredients:
3 lbs beef skirt steak
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp ginger-root, finely chopped
3 medium onions, finely sliced
1.5 tsp turmeric
2 Tbsp coriander
1 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp chilli powder
3 tsp salt
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 tsp garam masala
2 Tbsp extra vinegar
1.5 lbs cubed potatoes
2 Tbsp fresh coriander
Cooking Instructions:
Cut steak into cubes. Heat oil and fry mustard seeds till they burst. Add fenugreek, garlic, ginger and onion. Fry until the onions are golden. Add turmeric and fry 1 minute longer. Add coriander, cumin and chilli. Stir well. Add salt and vinegar, and fry until liquid evaporates. Sprinkle in the garam masala and mix well. Add meat and turn till coated. Add extra vinegar if spices start to stick. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1.5-2 hours. Add cubed potatoes and cover. Cook for another 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. Garnish with fresh coriander.
Ingredients:
3 lbs chicken thigh cutlets or breasts, whole or in fine strips
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cayenne
2-3 oz flour
3-6 oz butter
2 onions, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2.5 inch piece ginger-root, finely chopped
2-4 tsp cumin seeds
500 ml yoghurt
150 ml fresh cream or equal quantity of sour light cream
1 can coconut cream (if mixture seems too dry through prolonged cooking) thinly pared rind of 1 lemon, in a single piece
Cooking Instructions:
Place chicken on a large plate and rub over with lemon juice. Set aside for at least 20 minutes, then pat fry with kitchen paper. Mix salt, cayenne and flour on a plate and dredge chicken pieces, shaking off excess. Melt butter in pan, add the chicken and fry until browned. Add onions, garlic, ginger and cumin seeds and fry until golden brown. Stir in yoghurt, cream and lemon rind. Return chicken to mixture and mix until all chicken is well coated. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked. Uncover the pan for the last 20 minutes, to allow sauce to reduce. Discard lemon rind (if you can find it) before serving.
1 lb lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 lrg onion, finely chopped
4 tsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder (or less if you want)
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 inch finely chopped fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 lbs fresh spinach, trimmed, washed and torn in small pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Cooking Instructions:
Heat the oil in a casserole and cook the onion over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until soft. Stir lamb, coriander, mustard seeds, cumin, chili powder and turmeric. Mix all the ingredients well. Add 1 Tbsp of yogurt and cook over high heat, stirring the meat until all the yogurt is absorbed, about 3 to 5 minutes. Repeat with the second Tbsp of yogurt, third, and so on. When the yogurt is used up, stir in the ginger and garlic, add just enough water to cover the meat and bring to boil. Cover the casserole, lower the heat and simmer for one hour. When the meat is cooked, increase the heat to medium and add the spinach in batches, stirring each batch until it is wilted. When all the spinach is incorporated, cook the stew, uncovered, over high heat to evaporate any excess liquid, about five minutes. Add the salt just before serving. Serve with rice and pappadoms.
Ingredients:
Potato 1 large
Random veg's 4 cups
Butter 2 tbsp.
Onion 1 large
Garlic 2 cloves
Tomatoes 2
Yogurt 2 tbsp.
Heavy cream 1/2 cup
Green peas 4 oz.
Raisins 1/4 cup
Blanched almonds 12
Dry Masala Ingredients:
Cardamom (ground) 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder 1/2 tsp.
Ginger (ground) 1/2 tsp.
Red Chili powder 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric 1/2 tsp.
Cooking Instructions:
Boil vegetables (except onions and peas). Drain and set aside. Melt butter and saute onions and garlic. Add tomatoes, yogurt, and the dry masala, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add vegetables and simmer for another 5 minutes, then add water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cream and peas, stirring gently. Before serving, top with raisins and almonds.
Ingredients:
Vegetables:
1 can (16 oz) chopped Spinach, drained
1/2 lb 2 large-size) potatoes, cut in chunks
1-2 Tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
1 medium-sized onion, sliced into thin strips
2-3 Tbsp water
Spices & Flavourings:
6 whole black peppercorns, crushed coarsely
2 cloves of cardamom, crushed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and cut into small matchsticks
1 fresh red chili, seeded and finely shredded or pinch of chili powder
Salt
Optional "touches":
Some blanched, slivered almonds, cashews
Sliced mushrooms, added with the onions
For "mughlai" taste, replace cumin powder (jeera) with fennel seeds (saunf)
Vessels:
1 saucepan
1 bowl of water to soak potato chunks
Cooking Instructions:
Soak the potato chunks in a small bowl full of water until you need to use them. Heat ghee/oil in the saucepan on medium-low heat. When oil is hot, reduce heat to low; add the crushed peppercorns, cardamom seeds and almonds, cashews and saute gently for 2-3 minutes. Add the chili, ginger, onion and garlic to the saucepan and raise heat to medium. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes, stirring lightly to prevent browning or burning. Stir in the spices and salt and mix well. Drain the potato chunks and add them (without the water). Stir vigorously as you turn the heat up, until potatoes are half baked and are covered thoroughly with the rest of the stuff. Reduce heat back to medium and add about 2 tablespoons of water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, stirring occassionally. Gently stir in the spinach and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Add a small quantity of water if necessary. Don't add too much water. This is a moist dish, not a liquid one. Cover it. Turn the heat off. It's done.
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
1/4 tsp saffron threads
3 Tbsp warm milk
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup raisins or currants, or dried cranberries
1/2 cup cashew pieces or sliced almonds or pistachio pieces
1-1/2 cup long-grained white rice
3 cup water
1 Tbsp sugar or honey
Cooking Instructions:
Measure the saffron threads into a small bowl and crush them with the back of a spoon and add to the bowl, stirrinng to dissolve the saffron. Stir in the sugar, and let stand while preparing rice. In a small pot or frying pan, melt the butter and saute the raisens and nuts over very low heat for 2 min. Boil the water, add the rice and stir with a fork. Cover the pot and cook over low to medium heat for 12-15 min, until the rice has absorbed much of the water. Add the saffron, milk and sugar mixture and stir gently with a fork. Add the butter, raisins, and nuts and stir again. Be careful while stirring not to break the individual grains or the rice will become mushy. Cover the pot and cook another 10 min. or so until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is completely cooked. The color of the rice will be bright yellow, and the saffron will smell wonderful. Serve immediately, as it does not taste the same reheated.
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter or ghee
1 hot green chili or 1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp finely chopped ginger
4 cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
1 stick whole cinnamon, broken into several pieces
1 cup white rice
1 cup fresh (or frozen) peas
1/4 tsp turmeric powder, optional
2-1/4 cups water
1 tsp salt, optional
Cooking Instructions:
Melt the butter in a large pot over a low flame. Add the pepper, onion, ginger, and whole spices. Heat and stir continually for several min. Add the rice and continue stirring so the rice gets coated with the butter and spices. Add the peas, the water and the salt and stir. If a yellow color is desired, add the turmeric. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat again, cover the pot, and simmer about 20 min. until the water has been absorbed and the rice is soft and fluffy. If you use canned peas, drain them and add them during the last few minutes of cooking. Serve with the whole spices left in, but warn your guests not to chomp on them.
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked white rice
2 cups water for cooking rice -
Crushed seeds of 8 cardamon pods
2 qts milk
1 cup sugar or honey
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup raisins, yellow if possible
1/4-1/2 tsp saffron threads, crushed, optional
Cooking Instructions:
Bring the water to a boil in a large pot and add the rice. Cover the pot, lower the heat and simmer about 20 min. until the rice is nearly done. Add the milk, raise the heat to medium, and cook uncovered for 1 hour, stirring often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot. At the end of an hour, the rice and milk will have thickened and the volume will be reduced by about one third. Now add the honey or sugar, butter, raisins, crushed cardamon seeds and optional saffron. Stir continuously for 5 min. to mix thoroughly. Taste and add more sugar if you feel that it sould be sweeter. Cook and stir for another 15 min. Remove the pot from the heat and transfer the kheer into a serving dish. Top with chopped pistachio nuts and cool in the refrigerator. Serve with Indian bread as part of the main meal or eat as a dessert.
Ingredients:
Pastry:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ghee
1/2 cup warm water
Filling:
1 1/4 tbsp ghee
1-5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice OR vinegar
8 oz. ground lamb (or beef)
1 tsp mint leaves
1 tsp coriander, optional
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp garam-masala
1 tbsp ginger, grated (fresh)
1/2 cup hot water
Dil for cooking
Cooking Instructions:
Pastry: Sift flour and salt into bowl, add ghee and water, mix thoroughly, knead for a couple minutes. Cover with plastic, make filling.
Filling: Heat ghee in pan, fry onions, ginger, add garlic. fry until onions are soft. Add curry, salt and vinegar, mix well. Add meat and fry over high heat, stirring constantly, until meat changes color. Turn down heat, add water and cover. Cook until liquid is absorbed (10-15 min). Towards the end, stir meat to keep it from sticking. Add garam-masala, mint, and coriander, mix, remove from heat, cool, and add the rest of the onion. Mix.
Take small pieces of dough, shape into balls, and on a lightly floured board, roll each ball to a very thin circle, about the size of a saucer. Cut circle in half. Put 1 tsp of filling in the middle of each half circle, brush edges with water, fold dough over and press edges together. When they are all made, heat oil in a wok, deep fry a few at a time until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Eat until too full.
Tandoori Chicken
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
12 Chicken drumsticks and/or breast pieces (skin removed)
1 cup plain yoghurt or 2 cups Buttermilk
1 1/2 tbsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp ginger powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tbsp. Garam Masala powder
Meat tenderizer, optional
2 tbsp.
Cooking Instructions:
Prick the chicken pieces with a fork all over. Apply the tenderizer to
the chicken pieces and let it stand for an hour or so.
The marinade: Take a wide and deep bowl about 12 2 inches wide and
deep enough to hold all the chicken pieces. Add the yoghurt plus one cup
water or the buttermilk with no water into the bowl. Add all the spices
from nos. 3 thru 8 into the bowl and stir to form a homogeneous
mixture.Now add the chicken pieces into the mixture, so that they are
all covered with the paste. Cover the bowl with a lid and let it stand
for 6 hours. If you plan to marinade for 12-15 hours, put it in the
refrigerator. The more time it is marinated, the better it will absorb
the spices and the tastier it will be.
When you are ready to grill the chicken, apply melted butter to the
the chicken pieces with a brush or spoon all over and you are ready to
grill the chicken on the barbeque in the normal fashion. turn over the
chicken pieces when they look brownish red in color or darker if you
prefer it well done. Slice finely onion into rings, add some salt and
lemon juice to it, to be served as a salad with the tandoori chicken.
lemon juice sprinkled on the cooked pieces also adds to the flavor , if
you wish.
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
1 cups semolina or quick cream of wheat
1 teaspoons each of mustard and cumin seeds
1 sprigs curry leaves
1 teaspoons ginger chopped
2 green chillies slit, chopped
2 onions sliced finely
1 large tomatoes, chopped
4 tablespoons coriander leaves
2 tablespoons grated coconut if available
2 cups hot water
Salt to taste
Fried cashewnuts to garnish
Cooking Instructions:
Heat half of the ghee (clarified butter) in a pan. Fry semolina, stirring continuously, to a golden color on medium. Low level for about 2 minutes. Keep aside. Heat the remaining ghee in a pan. Toss in the mustard seeds followed by the cumin seeds and fry till the seeds splutter fully. Add the curry leaves, ginger, green chillies and onions. Stir fry on medium level for about 3 minutes or till the onions are transparent and soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry on medium level for about 3 minutes or till they are soft and cooked. Add half of the coriander leaves (reserving the rest for garnishing) and fry briefly till they wilt. Mix in the semolina and salt. Add the hot water to this and mix well. Add more hot water if the mixture is dry. Cover and cook on low heat for about 3 minutes or till the mixture is almost dry. Garnish with fried cashewnuts, grated coconut and finely chopped coriander leaves.
